


Within The Stars

by SassyDelusions (Sassydelusions)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Committed Relationship, F/M, First house, Non-Explicit Sex, Shower Sex, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, artist rey, lawyer ben, married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 05:11:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14394996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sassydelusions/pseuds/SassyDelusions
Summary: Rey and Ben have bought a new house and decide to paint the walls.--When they had toured the house before signing the contract she was convinced that it was a modest size. This was no longer her sentiment and if she had to listen to Ben tell her that she needed to straighten out the line one more time then she was going to knock over the step stool he was currently standing on.“You’re doing it wrong.” Ben’s voice came from up above her, echoing through the empty house and testing her impulse control further with each muffled reverberation.“Then you do it!” Exasperated, she pelted an empty tape roll up at him. He didn’t even flinch as it bounced against his cheekbone.Asshole.





	Within The Stars

“Put it down and take two steps to the left, Ben.”

 

Looking equal parts amused and affronted, the man in question looked away from the paint swatches on display. “And what exactly offends you about this one? It’s neutral. We want something neutral in the living spaces.”

 

“That is the  _ exact _ same color as the First Order waiting room.” 

 

“No it’s not.”

 

An incredulous grin stole across Rey’s lips and she rose an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Let me give Phasma a call and ask. What’s it called?”

 

Ben hesitated, his lips parting and then closing. Leaning in fast, the girl plucked the color square from her husband’s fingers. He gave an indignant noise and at about the same time she began to laugh. 

 

“Serious Gray? It’s actually called Serious Gray?” Shaking her head, she set the square back into its rightful place on the display. “I wonder if paint namers get paid well. I don’t doubt that I would do a fantastic job if I were given a shot.” Smiling a toothy smile, she plucked up a vibrant yellow square. “Cheerful. Absolutely. I agree. Oh and Vigorous Violet. Very descriptive. Ooooh! What’s this one? Endless Sea. I don’t know. In my experience with the sea it tends to be a bit greene-- Ah!”

 

Rey’s words were brought to an abrupt closing as Ben’s arms wrapped around her waist and he hoisted her up to move her a bit further down the aisle. She was too busy laughing to really protest, but she did make a mental note to pick up those cute little squares she’d ended up dropping. When her feet were back on the ground, Ben leaned downwards and let his voice rumble against her ear. “If I’m not allowed to pick grays then you are not allowed to pick any of those gaudy and eye straining vibrants.”

 

“Eye straining? I thought that they were… ‘Cheerful.’” The coo of her voice was met with a light squeeze of her waist as if to silently chastise her incredibly lame joke. 

 

“Stay on task. We need to get started painting tonight and that means we need to actually pick colors. I can’t avoid the office forever so we have to make good use of the time we have.” He didn’t sound scolding, in fact, he sounded more resigned than anything else. They both knew once his leave was up they would both get back to their usual busy schedules.

 

“So Serious…” She added “Gray.” under her breath, but given the light groan against her ear, she was certain he heard it. “You’re right, though. We have to have everything painted before we can start furnishing. I think with the six days your partners ‘graciously’ gifted you we’ll have it all done. I have faith in us. I’ll recruit Poe and Finn to help me get the furniture set up and arranged. They’ve been looking for an excuse to see the house in person.”

 

“I can just pay for delivery and set up. Most furniture stores offer that service.” Slowly unhooking his arms from around the brunette’s waist, he stepped up to the display again. “You said you wanted the kitchen and the accent wall to match? Gray is forbidden for being too ‘serious’, but how do you feel about a red? Deep reds are considered classic in the decorative world.”

 

“That depends on the red and what our main color is going to be. I was thinking something creamy with warm undertones. It’d look nice with the wood flooring.”

 

As Ben dutifully began picking out colors, Rey stood and silently marveled at him. They’d been married for a little over a year and she still couldn’t stop herself from smiling when she saw him doing something so incredibly domestic. When she was young she had been so convinced that she’d never have something like this and she was sure she was never going to get tired of being wrong. His fingers nimbly traced over the small paper squares and his jaw worked itself left and right as he appraised contrasting pairs of swatches. Brown eyes were so serious, so focused, so… intense. He was always so intense. 

 

It had been a year of benchmarks. She had moved in with Ben and not too long after they found themselves engaged. Only two months after getting engaged they had a simple courthouse wedding with a small reception for a few close friends. They traveled for three months, backpacking through the countryside and enjoying each other's company far away from the stress of their respective jobs. They applied to be foster parents, something that they’d always talked about, and now they were moving into an actual house. Alongside all the big things she was going to remember about this year, Rey was already sure she’d fondly look back on this simple outing to Home Depot.

 

“What color were you thinking for the bedrooms?” Ben looked back at her and as his hair fell over his eyes she had to remind herself how to breathe. Bedrooms. Bedrooms for children who needed a home. Children who needed loved. Children who needed them.

 

“Something happy.” The words left her lips instantly. Stepping back to the section he’d called gaudy only moments before she knew the color she wanted in an instant. “This one. Lush Meadow.” Green was a happy color. There hadn’t been nearly enough green in her childhood. To Rey the color stood for life and she wanted so badly to be sure that these children were filled with the kind of life she longed to see when she was in the system.

 

Ben got a faint smile and nodded softly. “It’s lovely.” There was something fond in his eyes as he leaned in and placed a small kiss on her temple. “And how about our room?”

 

Leaning into him with that lovely green square held to her chest, Rey hummed thoughtfully. “How do you feel about blue?”

 

“Maybe a really dark blue…” His voice trailed off as he began scrutinizing the swatches once more. 

 

While he studied over the blues, Rey looked at the color pairs he’d picked for the open areas. She instantly knew which cream she wanted and got to work putting the others back where they belonged, gathering up the ones she’d dropped to the ground and securing those behind translucent plastic shelving as well. Next she began setting the different reds he’d picked next to her selected main color. A pearly grin coming to her lips as she began picturing what sorts of decorations and furniture would match. This whole thing was starting to feel real. They were really taking steps to settle down and it was both exciting and terrifying. 

 

Settling down implied a surrendering of independence. Rey had no intention of giving up on her career and her passions. She was going to be a parent and that was going to be priority, but that wasn’t going to come at the price of losing what she had fought so fiercely to get. Agency. She wasn’t going to be the stay at home wife who depended on her incredibly intelligent and well paid husband to get by. There wasn’t anything wrong with being a homemaker. Rey didn’t detest women who lived that way, she just knew without a doubt that it wasn’t the right fit for her. 

 

Ben was pensive beside her in the aisle. She could see that he was holding a number of little color squares but due to his broad shoulders being angled downwards she couldn’t actually see any of them. Studying the swoop of his nose in profile and the slight twitch at the corner of his lips as he looked from color to color, Rey couldn’t find it in herself to be worried about anything larger than paint colors. If he could be so engrossed in this singular moment then she could too. 

 

“Purple” His voice broke the air between them. “Royal purple.”

 

Rey smiled. “Perfect.”

 

* * *

 

Rey was settled on her knees lining blue painter’s tape onto the crisp white baseboards. This had proven to be the most tedious task she’d ever volunteered to do in the whole of her twenty-five years of living. They had been at it for about two and a half hours and had only managed to get the kitchen and dining room fully taped. When they had toured the house before signing the contract she was convinced that it was a modest size. This was no longer her sentiment and if she had to listen to Ben tell her that she needed to straighten out the line one more time then she was going to knock over the step stool he was currently standing on.

 

“You’re doing it wrong.” Ben’s voice came from up above her, echoing through the empty house and testing her impulse control further with each muffled reverberation. 

 

“Then you do it!” Exasperated, she pelted an empty tape roll up at him. He didn’t even flinch as it bounced against his cheekbone.  _ Asshole. _

 

“I’m taller so it’s better that I do the ceiling.” Brown eyes shifted down to meet hazel ones and he offered her a lopsided grin that defused her irritation. That damned quirk of his lips saved him far more often than she’d ever admit. “Do you want me to come down and show you again?”

 

“I know how to lay painter’s tape.” She accentuated her words with a pointed glare. “If either of us can be called a painting expert it’s certainly  **not** the lawyer.”

 

“Painting a house and painting a canvas aren’t exactly comparable, sweetheart.”

 

Without a word, Rey reached over and jostled the step stool. It wasn’t enough force to knock it or him over, but it seemed to get the point across because his smug expression finally dropped.  _ Good. _ The brunette cast him a playful smile and then went back to taping up the baseboards. 

 

It took another two hours to get everything taped up. Shortly after they finished, Rey tugged Ben to lay beside her on the wood flooring. He didn’t protest, just slipped an arm around her and buried his face against the top of her head. “Do you want to call it a day?”

 

“No.” She nuzzled her nose against the crook of his neck. “But I’m hungry so we should take a food break and then paint our bedroom.”

 

“You want to start with the bedroom? I thought we’d do that last.”

 

“I want to paint a galaxy on the wall where our bed will be.” She idly traced her fingers along his bicep, drawing little circles and triangles. “We can sleep within the stars every night.”

 

Ben gave a fond hum. His lips brushed softly against her forehead and he gave her a small squeeze. “Have I told you lately how much I love you, Rey?”

 

Her lips formed a grin. “I’m sure you have, but it never hurts to hear it again.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” Rey tilted her head so she could put a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Now please feed me before I waste away.”

 

Ben chuckled, a deep and adoring sound, and then slowly got onto his feet. Once she sat up, he scooped his wife up into his arms and made his way to the kitchen. She was fully capable of walking, but there was something so safe and comforting about being carried. “Pizza or Chinese?”

 

There wasn’t any food in the house yet. They technically still lived in their apartment until the end of the week and didn’t want anything to go bad. “Pizza.”

 

* * *

 

An hour and a full belly later, Rey was on her tiptoes trying to make the paint roller reach the ceiling. Ben was armed with a paint brush and was filling in the gaps that the roller couldn’t quite reach. Painting was moving much faster than taping and Rey was already enamoured with how rich the color on the wall was. Her husband wasn’t the most artistically inclined, but he was meticulous and did an excellent job of keeping the paint distribution even.

 

“It’s so pretty.” She breathed as she took a step back to look at their handiwork. The other walls were still an ugly beige tone that did nothing to compliment the striking shade Ben had picked.

 

“I think two coats will be more than enough. It’ll even it out nicely.” 

 

Getting to work on the next wall, Rey hummed. “Are we going to keep the duvet set we have at the apartment or do you want to get something that will match better?” 

 

She still remembered picking out their bedroom set. Before they got engaged she agreed to move into his apartment, but she didn’t want to be surrounded by only his things. They went out and bought an entirely new set of bedroom furniture in a crisp chestnut finish and a red bedspread to match. It was an all day affair that ended with dinner at IKEA and a very grumpy Ben Solo insisting that he could help put things together if she’d just let him.

 

“We’ll have to redo everything. When we go to get couches tomorrow we can look at bedroom sets as well.” After a beat, he felt the need to a stipulation. “No IKEA.”

 

“Hey! Our IKEA stuff has lasted just fine!” Rey continued rolling purple over beige as she spoke. “I don’t see why we need to spend thousands of dollars on something that’s in our room where nobody but us will see it. If it’s sturdy enough to hold us then that’s all we really need.”

 

“I have to see it.” He said matter-a-factually. “That’s good enough reason for it to be high quality.” He was slowly dragging his brush across uneven edge where the roller’s reach capped out. “Besides… Just because we don’t have to spend that much doesn’t mean I don’t want to. You deserve to have nice things, Rey. You have to let me spoil you sometimes. I want to give you all the things you couldn’t have before.”

 

“We’ve had this conversation, Ben.” Her roller stilled on the wall and she turned to look up at him. “I don’t need things. I just need you.”

 

“You’ll always have me, Rey. I would move the stars in the sky if it meant giving you what you need. So please, just this once, let me give you what you  _ want _ as well. No matter how trivial.” Their eyes met, and despite the fumes of fresh paint and the aches in her shoulders, Rey felt herself fall in love with him all over again.

 

She didn’t seem to notice he had moved from the step stool until he was right beside her. His hand moved to hers, gently guiding the roller from the wall as he leaned inwards and sealed his lips over her own. Hazel eyes didn’t bother staying open, she didn’t want to lose a single second of this kiss. Instinct lead one hand up into his hair, fingers getting tangled up in soft onyx tresses. Her hold on the paint roller loosened by the second.

 

Eyes blew open.The click of the roller slipping from her hand and hitting the floor caused her to jerk away abruptly. “Shit!”

 

Scrambling from her husband’s arms to pick up the dropped tool, Rey felt tears of relief hit the corners of her eyes.  _ Ben had put down a plastic tarp.  _ For his part, Ben stood there bewildered at how quickly she’d retreated. “Everything good?”

 

“I thought I stained the brand new gray carpet and I was about to have a heart attack. We haven’t even moved in yet.”

 

Ben’s lips twitch, as if he wanted to smirk but was trying to be good natured. “How did you not notice the plastic? You’re not wearing shoes.”

 

“You put it in before we even started taping. I guess it just didn’t click in my head that it was even there.” A little shrug was given as she picked up the roller again. Bare toes dipped into the little puddle of purple. She drew a heart with her big toe, her head cocked the left and her tongue against her upper lip. “I’m glad one of us is forward thinking.”

 

Ben just shook his head. “Once we finish up these two walls we can go and lay down the first coat of cream in the living areas. You can come in here and do your mural while I do the red walls.”

 

Rey nodded. “Alright.”

 

They both got back to work, talking idly about what kind of furniture they wanted to get for the kids’ rooms and what they were going to do with everything from the apartment. It was a pretty big apartment, but it was decorated to have an upstate loft feeling that Rey didn’t want for her first home. She wanted to make it feel as stereo-typically homelike as possible. She’d never had a home like that when she was young and she wanted every child who came through their house to be able to feel right at home.

 

Rey loved to paint. No matter the way it was being done, there was something amazing about transforming something otherwise ordinary into something new and interesting. Anything could be beautiful if it was given the right amount of time and attention. Love made everything beautiful. This house was going to be made of love all the way down to the floorboards; she wouldn’t settle for anything less. 

 

The bedroom seemed to fly by. Before she even knew it, they were surrounded by purple walls. There was plastic on the floor, paint on her shirt, and tape lining the entire room, but Rey already felt at home. She looked to the wall that would be her canvas the moment it dried. She could picture the swirling nebulae in her mind and couldn’t wait to bring them to life. Still on the step stool, Ben painted with the same kind of focus he put into anything else. He narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders and studied every millimeter to be sure it was plum colored. It was an additional handful of minutes of spot correcting before he helped her seal off the paint can and they moved on.

 

Instead of washing out the roller she had been using, Rey picked up a new one. They had bought enough to have two rollers for each color paint and they would throw them out when they were done. The sandy color in the can was exactly like the square she’d picked. It was crisper and deeper than the dingy color that the builders used. 

 

With both of them using rollers, the process was expedited. They each picked a wall and went to town. After the bulk of the walls was complete, Ben set his roller down and came back in with a paintbrush to clean up any missed edges at the top and bottom of each wall. Rey watched him work with a smile and a piece of pizza. He was so mesmerizing when he was doing something so domestic. This man was a terror in court, he struck fear into the hearts of his competitors, and he had a reputation for being immovable in every way. But here he was, brush in hand, humming some song she couldn’t place, painting. 

 

“I’m sure that the paint in the bedroom is dry if you want to go do a second coat and paint the wall. I put the little cans in there already.”

 

“Are you sure you’re alright out here?” She leaned against the counter. “I don’t want to leave you if I can help.”

 

Ben lowered the brush. “Go paint, sweetheart. I’ve got this.”

 

Rey finished her pizza and pushed off from the counter. “Alright.”

 

She gave Ben a quick peck and then headed out to the car to get her brushes and her headphones. It was always easier to get into a piece when she had music playing. The songs didn’t have to suit what she was painting, they just had to keep her energized enough to keep going. Before starting on her mural, she went ahead and did a second coat of purple on the other walls.  Opening the small cans of various jewel tones, Rey set to work. Time flew by, minutes and songs all bleeding together as she brought her vision to life. The second step stool had been left in the room for her use, and she didn’t bother counting the times she got up and down. 

 

Nebulae and stars bled from the bristles; hazy clouds of celestial light in vibrant pinks and blues on a backdrop of expansive purple sky. With each white dot she placed she thought of a memory. She thought of Ben’s awkward and apologetic smile when he bumped into her at the library. She thought of their first date to the aquarium. She thought of him down on one knee, tears misting his eyes, as he begged her to spend the next lifetime at his side. A whispered pair of ‘I dos’ accompanied a pair of stars to the left. The news that they were going to be foster parents connected to three more stars to the right. Their life together up until this point was poured into her galaxy.  _ Their galaxy. _

 

Faint moonlight came in through the windows. She felt paint drying on her forehead, her arms, and her hands, but she didn't really care. An artist wasn't afraid to get a little dirty. The room was complete at last and she couldn't have been more delighted by it. With white paint, she signed her name in the bottom right corner of the wall.

 

“Rey Solo.” Ben’s voice behind caused a squeak to pull from her lips. He said her name with an insane amount of reverence, as if it still baffled him that she had agreed to take it.

 

“I didn't hear you come in.” She leaned back against his legs. “Were you standing around long?” 

 

His fingers brushed drummed affectionately against her scalp. “No. I only just finished in the kids’ rooms.”

 

“Wow! You got all that done?” 

 

A smirk stole over his features. “It's been nearly twelve hours, Rey.”

 

“Mm, that would explain why I'm so tired.”

 

He offered a hand to help her up. “Let’s get you home, sweetheart.”

 

* * *

 

Water rolled down her skin, hot and soothing to the touch. There was a blue tinting to the water as it drained. Ben’s fingers were brushing delicately along her arms to help remove the lingering paint there. He was pressing soft kisses to her shoulder and swaying with her beneath the water in a way that made her heart race. 

 

“I can clean myself, you know.”

 

“I know.” His voice rumbled against her skin and made her shudder from head to toe. “But I can clean you just as well.”

 

He kneaded gentle circles into her, traveling up her arms and then down her sides. His frame pressed against her from behind. Deft fingers trailed across her stomach, guiding suds along her abs and up her ribcage. He traced languid circles around her nipples and she squirmed lightly.

 

“I thought we were getting clean.” It was far from a protest. She had a smile on her lips as she rolled her hips back against him.

 

“If that’s all you want then I can stop.” Ben’s voice had a husky edge to it. “But I think I know you want more.”

 

Rey had no argument. She turned around to face him and then leaned up to capture his lips in an earthshaking kiss. All the passion built up from a day of setting up their future together was surging between them. As his hands slid down her back, Rey concluded that nothing got better than this. They were hopelessly in love. He backed her against the stone shower wall and she hooked a leg around his waist. 

 

Hands got tangled up in his hair and she buried her face against her shoulder as he pushed himself inside of her. He mumbled sweet words against her ear, telling her how brave she is to want to be a foster mother after everything she’s been through. They stayed intertwined until the water went cold, both panting and trembling in bliss.

 

After drying off and putting on pajamas, Ben brushed and braided Rey’s hair like he did every night. She looked around their bedroom sleepily and then let her eyes fall shut. “I can’t believe we’ve really come this far.”

 

“Drink it in.” He kissed her cheek and set the brush on the side table. “You deserve all this and more.”

 

Crawling under the covers, Rey smiled. “Are you going to miss the apartment?”

 

He joined her in the sheets that they would be replacing the very next day. “There isn’t anything here to miss. So long as I have you, I have everything I liked about this place.”

 

“I love you.” She hummed peacefully. Drowsiness kicked in the moment his arms tangled around her frame. This was their last night in this room, their last night in this apartment, and tomorrow would be the first day of their next adventure together. Rey couldn’t wait. 

 

Before finally drifting off, she caught him whisper. “I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey loves! I know I'm very late on my fic updates but I promise they are coming. I've had severe writer's block. Feel free to drop a line or a request on my [Tumblr](sassydelusions.tumblr.com) as always.
> 
> Thanks for reading and please leave comments and kudos! They mean the world to a starving writer like me <3


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